62 EASTERN ETHIOPIA v 



The Banana (3fu.sa), a gigantic lierbaceous plant, 

 common in the tropical parts of the East, is cultivated 

 in all tropical and subtropical countries. It grows wild 

 in Uganda, but among the cultivated plants it is 

 estimated that there are more than thirty varieties. 

 A banana plantation is as typical of Uganda as a wheat- 

 tield is of an English county, or a potato-field of 

 Ireland. 



The banana is a curious plant : it forms a spurious 

 stem by the sheathing bases of the leaves. Such a stem 

 may rise fifteen or twenty feet in height. Some of the 

 leaves are ten feet in lens-th and two feet across the 

 blade. These large fandike leaves are often of a delicate 

 green and move with every breath of wind ; indeed a 

 banana plantation is a feast of colour. 



The banana is propagated by young shoots which 

 arise from its roots. The old stem dies down after 

 riowerins; and fruiting, and a new stem from the old 

 root takes its place. The fiower is of interest, for it 

 consists of a conical bulb of purple spathes. The 

 poorly developed petals and reproductive parts are 

 covered by a huge purple spathe which surmounts the 

 stalk. When the fruit forms, the stalk becomes top- 

 heavy and doubles on itself. 



Dr. Cook found these spathes very useful. The 

 Baganda love physic, but it was difficult to persuade 

 the patients at the Missionary Hospital to take the 

 stuff in definite quantities at regular hours ; they 

 preferred to drink it wdiolesale. Graduated medicine 

 glasses could not be supplied, but the deficiency is not 

 felt because the sjDathe of a banana is shaped like a 

 spoon, and its concavity holds for practical purposes one 

 ounce of fluid, and thus fulfils the function of a medicine 

 glass. 



When a native goes out in the rain he takes off' his 

 clothes, carries them under his arm and uses a banana 

 leaf as an umltrella. Bark cloth, as clothing, is soon 

 ruined by rain. Women sometimes wrap a baby in a 



